1921.] 
New Zealand Institute Science Congress. 
43 
for ages past been more or less inconsistent with this view. The latter, however, has, 
during the progress of science, vindicated itself with regard first to position and direction, 
then in regard to uniform motions, and, within the past few years, with regard to all 
motions. Each such vindication has constituted a sudden and remarkable increase of 
intellectual power, and has involved a notable reconstruction of scientific conceptions. 
The conceptions chiefly affected by the recent intellectual advance are those of space 
and time, natural geometry, gravitation, and the other natural forces. Besides these,, 
a new dominating conception has been introduced which, when it is once mastered,, 
allows of a much more accurate and simple representation to our minds of what is really 
happening in the external world. 
Events referred to this entity, which has four dimensions, lose certain refractory 
inconsistencies which they undoubtedly present when they are described in the usual 
terms of space and time. Just as ethereal radiation is put forward by science as the 
real external event giving rise to our subjective experiences of light and warmth, so 
our movement in this four-dimensional continuum is put forward in the address as 
giving rise to our subjective and other experiences of the measure of space and time 
which we associate with natural occurrences. The conception affords us a truer 
apprehension of what is really going on in the external world than we can receive 
directly by our space-and-time experiences, which have been found by modern science 
to vary with our relative motion in a most confusing and irreconcilable manner. The 
satisfactory unification, as seen from the new point of view, of previously unrelated 
facts, especially of the facts of gravitation, inertia, and centrifugal force, was described 
in the address; and, since non-Euclidean geometry is used in relativity investigations, 
a short popular account was given of what such a thing may be. 
Maori Culture Areas in New Zealand, by H. D. Skinner. 
Abstract. 
The main culture-division in the island region of the Pacific lies between Melanesia 
and Polynesia. “ Melanesia ” is culturally a very ill-defined term, and appears to cover 
very heterogeneous material. The culture of Polynesia appears, on the other hand, to 
be remarkably homogeneous. Maori culture, taken broadly, shows features derived 
from Polynesia and others that find their closest relationships in Melanesia. In language 
and in social structure the Maoris are Polynesian, but their material culture shows many 
points of resemblance to that of the Western Pacific. Thus the rectangular, circular, 
and pile types of house common in New Zealand are without parallel in Central and 
Eastern Polynesia, but occur in almost identical form in Melanesia. 
The material culture of the North Island shows strong affinities with the Western 
Pacific, while that of the South Island seems more nearly related to the material culture 
of Polynesia. This division between the North Island and the South is the most im¬ 
portant that can be made on cultural grounds in New Zealand. There is a transitional 
belt embracing both shores of Cook Strait. The South Island may be divided into three 
other districts—Murihiku, south of the Rangitata ; Kaiapoi, south of the Buller and the 
Awatere ; and the Wakatu, including the rest of the Island except the transitional 
region about the Marlborough Sounds. 
The North Island may be divided into four areas, exclusive of the transitional belt 
along the shore of Cook Strait. The West Coast Area stretches from the Rangitikei to 
a little north of the Mokau. The East Coast Area lies south of the Mahia. The Central 
Area includes the rest of the Island south of the Auckland Isthmus. The Northern 
Area includes the rest of the North Island. To these areas must be added the Chatham 
Islands, which show many points of resemblance to Murihiku. 
The Strange Disappearance of Maoris in Fiordland, by W. H. Beattie. 
Maori Anthropometry, by Dr. P. Buck. 
Abstract. 
In his paper Dr. Buck pointed out that anthropometry, which dealt with the measure¬ 
ments of the human body so as to establish the standard type of genus of a race, had 
been neglected as regards the Maori branch of the Polynesians. It was absolutely 
necessary to set up the Maori type in order to study his relationship to the other branches 
of the Polynesians, and to determine what Melanesian characteristics existed amongst 
them. The Americans had four scientific expeditions working in Polynesia, and, since 
New Zealand administered Samoa, the Cook Group, and Niue Island, we should not 
lag behind in the scientific study of those Polynesian branches under our control. 
Attention was drawn to the unsatisfactory condition that existed with regard to 
standard Polynesian and Melanesian types owing to insufficient measurements of a 
large enough number of living persons. Our primary duty was to remove this charge 
of scientific neglect as regards ourselves by first establishing the Maori type or types. 
